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Brazil: AT&T, DirecTV earn easy merger approval

By  |  October 2, 2014

AT&T and DirecTV have secured approval by Brazilian regulators for their $48.5 billion merger, say reports.

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    Brazil’s telco watchdog ANATEL approved of the proposed tie-up, AT&T said, adding that it had also secured clearance from authorities in Trinidad and Tobago.

    While the companies have overcome two crucial hurdles, there are still more to come. Federal authorities continue to probe the merger, and DirecTV’s recent announcement to extend its exclusive contract to sell Sunday Ticket programming packages for NFL content – a $1.5 billion asset – is said to potentially complicate federal approval of the takeover.

    According to industry experts, the exclusive rights to that NFL package provide DirecTV with a significant advantage over rival cable operators.

    Full content: Telecom Lead

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